Saturday, September 19, 2009

The Mentawai people


A traditonal "uma" is a village under one roaf, which can accomodate 5 to 10 families related to each aother through the male line. Each family has its own section of the uma as well as a field home some distance away where they raise pigs and chickens and bananas gathered sago and fishes.


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Today only a few of these large communal dwellings remain.In the traditional uma, children grow-up freely, without constraints or formal education.

Boys and girls imitate the activities of adults in their plays. Toward the end of puberty, adolescents are tatooed their incisors chiseled to a point, then the boys strat to acquire property of their own.

The girls help their mothers, but only when married do they acquire responsability and possessions.

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